Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Book Review: Please Ignore Vera Dietz

“Is it okay to hate a dead kid? Even if you loved him once? Even if he was my best friend? Is it okay to hate him for being dead?” There are those sad books that made you cry once... and then there are those books that didn't make you cry but wouldn't get out of your head, wouldn't let sleep. Please Ignore Vera Dietz suits in the latter. After reading this, I just stared at the ceiling and started thinking about it. It bothered me so much! My mind couldn't let go of Charlie... I felt like Vera for an hour.Meet Vera Dietz. Pizza delivery 'technician'. Lover of vocab words. She has so many issues- her ex-stripper mother who left her and her father a few years ago, her ex-alcoholic dad and of course, the death of her bestfriend, Charlie Kahn. But the thing is, they weren't exactly 'bestfriends' when he died...The book tells the story from four POVs. Mostly from Vera but also from Charlie (the dead bestfriend), Vera's dad and the Pagoda. It also goes from past to present. I like how King made us understand Charlie. It had a big contribution to really understand not only Vera but also Charlie. I salute Vera Dietz. I mean, how can you still act normal when your mother left you, your father bugs you so much and your bestfriend has recently died? If this was a different book, the protagonist is probably in the mental hospital making friends with crazy people. But goodness, Vera Dietz is so different. Come to think of it- this book has the usual YA dilemmas: ex-alcoholic father, absentee mother, dead bestfriend, alcohol issues, wife-beating neighbor... but it's so different! Vera Dietz is so different from other characters from other books. Love her character. “I wish we could go back in time and climb trees together again. I love you, Vera. I always will.”I almost cried several times. It must have hurt how Vera feels... Having your bestfriend died when you were not 'friends'. It must have hurt to ask questions about what really happened between the two of you at the back of your head... and never get answers. Ugh... Vera and Charlie's story is heartbreaking. Go read it.“You'll never lose me, Vera. I'm the Great Hunter now.”★★★★★Xx, AC